Backpacking Gear List (Spring 2016)

I've finally sorted my spring gear list after a winter hiking in Nepal (for that gear list, check here), and I am happy to share with you the tweaks and upgrades I've made for the season and year ahead.

This time around I changed up the formatting a bit for easier readability (at least I think it's easier) and I kept some of the same formatting from my previous list: orange denotes a new item and strikethroughs indicate things that I no longer have.

Below the initial list you will find detailed descriptions of each item, including photos, pros, cons, weight, and pricing information.

WHY?
I like my Ghost Whisperer Down Jacket, but I got my hands on a Decompression Jacket from Columbia (which has already been discontinued for some reason) which was basically a Ghost Whisperer with a hood (something that the Ghost Whisperer comes with, but that I opted not to buy originally).

It's too bad this jacket didn't live long in Columbia's line, because I quite like it. Maybe something else will come along before the CDT next year (yes, it's a serious consideration right now).

WHY?
Yes, another Mountain Hardwear product eliminated from the pack – doesn't mean I don't still love their stuff. Honestly, I lost the Dome Perignon and have recently decided that Icebreaker may be my new favorite brand of woolen clothing (and I found an Icebreaker outlet).

In addition to fitting on my enormous head, Icebreaker's Skyline Hat is incredibly comfortable and is long enough to pull down over my entire head if I need to hide from horrors during the night. It's the first of probably many products that I will be getting from this brand.

WHY?
Remember when I said that the Skyline Hat would be the first of many Icebreaker products that I get? Well, I wasn't kidding. I've also (finally) replaced my long sleeve convertible button-down hiking shirt from Columbia with an Icebreaker t-shirt.

They come in a lot of different designs (including solid colors) and are 150 weight shirts made from a 87% Merino wool, 13% Nylon corespun blend.

WHY?
In addition to having an inconveniently circumfrenced head, my feet are inconveniently wide as well. To make matters worse, New Balance, my former go-to footwear company, has stopped making most of their trail runners to “focus on other markets”.

This move has forced me to look elsewhere for footwear and I have since landed in a pair of Moab Ventilators from Merrell. I've been enjoying them, but have yet to put and crazy mileage on them. The important thing is that they're wide enough.

WHY?
I like the Peak Design clutch, and although it allowed me to hang my camera from my wrist and free up both my hands, it wasn't enough. The Peak Design Leash is a lightweight and packable camera strap that allows me to comfortably carry my camera out of the way.

I prefer it to a “regular” camera strap because it can be configured a couple of different ways and it integrates nicely with the Capture Clip (which I am still a loyal fan of).

Am I doing anything right? Something wrong? Did I miss anything? Do you have any suggestions? I will update this again next season and as things continue to change in my pack.

Comment below and let me know what you think!

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